


Runner

by caiuscassiuss



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Claustrophobia, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Hermione is a fucking mess, Hermione is honestly trying her best, Manipulative Tom Riddle, Possessive Tom Riddle, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Seelie Court, Tom as the High King of the Unseelie Court, Tom is obsessed, Unseelie Court, but Tom won't leave her alone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:15:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28039038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caiuscassiuss/pseuds/caiuscassiuss
Summary: The sound of the woods grows louder; "Did you really think you could escape me?" Tomione, Fae AU.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle, Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 12
Kudos: 149





	Runner

A  **fairy** (also  _ fay _ ,  _ fae _ ,  _ fey _ ,  _ fair folk _ , or  _ faerie _ ) is a type of mythical  being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures. The Fae are a race human in appearance and have magical powers, often described as mischievous and much of Celtic and Scottish folklore describe how to ward them off or appease them. In lore, they are divided into two courts; the Seelie Court (also known as the Golden Court, Summer Court), the more beneficially inclined but still dangerous court, and the Unseelie Court (also known as the Silver or Winter Court), who are more malicious. While fairies of the Seelie Court enjoyed playing generally harmless pranks on humans, those of the Unseelie Court often brought harm to humans for entertainment. Both could be dangerous to humans if offended. (Wikipedia).

* * *

“Oh, bloody buggering fuck! Bristol lost  _ again _ !”

Hermione snorted over her beer as one of her Uni friends, Dean, swore at the monitor above their heads. His exclamation was accompanied by a round of groans by the rest of the patrons inside the University bar, pounds changing hands and people thumping the table.

“They were 0-3 to Manchester, do you really think they were going to magically get 2 goals in the last few minutes?” Hermione’s other Uni friend, Henry, sneered at Dean.

“Bruv, I just lost 20 pounds, could ‘ya please shut up?” The final member of their group, Rose, lamented as she buried her head of golden blond into her arms.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her group’s over dramatic antics, fiddling with her locket. Football wasn’t even that exciting playing it, and it was even more boring watching it. At least it didn’t end in bloodshed.

“I might as well have bought a Boglin, considering how useless my bet was,” Rose whined, taking a sip from her beer bottle.

“Dude, I remember those!” Dean exclaimed, giving Rose a high-five.

Henry sighed. “They were useless and horrifying. Complete waste of 10 pounds.”

Dean’s mouth dropped, clearly into his 3rd shot of the night. “Mate, don’t do Boglins like that! They were awesome! Right, Hermione?”

Bemused, Hermione smiled tightly. “Uh, sure.” She had no bloody idea what a ‘Boglin’ was. She wasn’t allowed toys growing up in the Courts, much less human toys. She hated,  _ hated _ , feeling like this—out of place in the human world, where she was supposed to fit. 

Checking her flip phone, her eyes widened as she saw the time.

“Shite. Mates, I have to get home so I can finish this assignment.”

“Aw Mione, d’ya hafta to leave? It’s only 10,” Rose complained.

“Sorry, no can do. Have fun though. Henry, please make sure these two idiots don’t get too pissed.”

Henry snorted but nodded in acquiescence, his brown eyes focused on the Telly.

“Alright, bye!” Hermione smiled and waved.

As she exited the bar, Hermione shivered and pulled her coat over her tighter. Ever since Samhain— sorry, Halloween, as the humans here called it— passed, it had gotten too bloody cold outside.

At the bus stop, Hermione’s lips twisted into a grimace as she waited for the bright headlights of the bus to come over the hill. Unwillingly, her fingers traced the outline of her pendant, taking comfort in the smooth, rounded edges of a four-leaf clover (1).

She desperately wished she could Apparate instead of waiting all night in the cold for the bus, but her magic could easily be traced by the Unseelie’s unnatural disposition towards sensing a casting. She wanted a clean break and that meant no magic, even though it meant locking away a part of herself.

Luckily, the headlights of Line 34 flashed over the hill, drawing sighs of relief from the other poor Uni students at the bus stop.

The exhaust from the bus enveloped Hermione in a cloud, causing her to cough slightly. The humans—  _ we _ , Hermione corrected herself— had developed such awe-some technologies at the cost of poisoning the environment. She could barely stand the smell of the burnt oil until she settled into the seat on her bus.

Hermione climbed the stairs to her Uni apartment, hearing various parties in the apartment units around her. Unlocking the door, she automatically checked to see if the iron horseshoe nailed above her door had rusted or dulled. Lesser folk were repelled from horseshoes and the iron within them, but Hermione knew higher fae, the ones with more magic at their disposal, regarded these symbols as mere annoying trinkets. If the horseshoe had rusted or dulled, then it was a signal a fae had been around the area.

Seeing no signs of rust, Hermione locked her door. Walking through her empty and sparse flat and into her bedroom, she collapsed on her bed. There was no assignment to finish. The university assignments were easy to do, compared to the trickery and riddles the Fae used in the Trials.

Hermione got antsy when she was out too long in the night. The Unseelie were strongest at night, their affinity for dark magic aligning with the nighttime. She was not enough of a fool to go gallivanting off in the night with her mates, offering herself up on a silver platter to the folk of Voldemort’s court. 

Hermione’s eyes dulled and her sight grew far away as she remembered  _ his  _ name.

_ “Harry!” Hermione screamed into the unnatural twilight, hearing the hooves of the Unseelie court’s riders coming up the hill. _

_ The fae-halfling fae’s face steeled, and he gripped his sword tighter. “Hermione, you need to run. We’ll cover you.” Harry said in between gritted teeth as the din of the stomping grew louder. _

_ “I can’t leave, it will be a slaughter! Harry, we need to set up—” _

_ “Have you forgotten the point of the damn Games? We’re supposed to keep  _ you _ safe, Hermione! You need to fucking leave!” _

_ “Fuck the Games! I can’t leave you here! My magic can  _ help _! My icons—” _

_ Harry’s unnaturally green eyes flashed and he turned to his second-in-command of the party, Ron Weasley. “You know what to do, Ron.” _

_ Ron stiffened, but nodded. The hooves grew into a cacophony and Hermione could sight the wisps of darkness materializing only a few hundred meters near them. One particular rider at the front, his skeletal steed galloping faster than the rest of his party, caught her eye. He was hooded but as he got nearer, she caught sight of a pale face and dark, fathomless eyes. _

_ “Know what? Harry, know—?” _

_ Hermione was cut off as Ron pulled her into a forced-sidealong. The world warped around her, muffled noises reaching her ears and flashes of color being devoured by greyness surrounded her. _

_ They landed with a thump in what Hermione recognized as a Seelie stronghold owned by Ron’s family, the Burrow _ .

_ Hermione let out a strangled scream. “Ron, take me back  _ now—”

_ Ron didn’t listen as he twisted on the spot and apparated out of the Burrow, presumably to return to battle. His golden armor winked at her and he was gone. _

_ “Shite!” Hermione swore, kicking a beam. She knew she couldn’t get out, as only members of the Weasley household could apparate in and out at will from the Burrow. Her trap was sprung too early and the Unseelie grew enraged at the attempt to kill off a few of their Court. Their bloodlust still lingered in her nose, even from kilometers away. _

_ The day  _ was _ a slaughter _ .  _ Her second night as a Runner, all the members of Harry’s hunting party were killed, their golden blood seeping into the ground of the field and their bodies decomposing rapidly. All members were slaughtered by the Unseelie court except Harry and Ron, the only survivors of the incident. They could not remember anything but dark laughter, like fae-forsaken bells, ringing in their ears. _

_ And it was all her damn fault _ .

Hermione had not realized she was on the bathroom floor and hardly breathing until she felt water dripping into her mess of curls. Turning her head up too quickly, she knocked her forehead into the edge of the sink.

“Fuck!” she whispered, rubbing her sore forehead. Quickly realizing her faucet was overflowing the sink, she stood up on shaky legs and switched the squeaky faucet off. 

Catching sight of herself in the mirror, a grimace curled her lips. Her red-rimmed eyes stared back at her in the dusty bathroom mirror. Hermione could see her glamours fading from her face, her features wavering from round and human to sharp and Fae. Strong emotions tended to weaken the enchantment she was gifted, years ago, by Dumbledore. The Celtic knot engraved at the back of her locket, a gift from the Seelie Court for their Eternal Victor, hid her slight Fae features from the mortal eye.

That name. It was always that damn name that triggered her memories. Reminded her of the worst times of her years at the Court, participating in the Games.

Mindlessly going back into the bedroom, she plopped herself into bed, not even bothering to change out of her itchy jumper and corduroy jeans, and fell into a restless sleep.

  1. Four leaf clovers are said to ward off the Fae.



**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! After years of reading and admiring Tomione fanfiction, I have decided to write one myself. This plot bunny would not let go of me for some reason. I hope you enjoy! Please comment and leave me some kudos so I know this is tickling your fancy :)


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